Assets and Adversaries
by Son of a hamster
Summary: Powerful, happy, Harry with a long fuse but a scary temper meets up with the Cullen's when he's in his thirties and they've just seen off the Volturi. Not a ship fic, starts off light and fades into dark.
1. Chapter 1

Assets and adversaries.

Conspiracy.

Harry POV.

The chilling bite of a blizzard smashed over the top of mountains, howling without sanity. The fresh snow on its peaks swirled, dancing over the older bed of compacted snow and ice. Below the sheer peaks lay lakes, rivers and expansive forest. Despite the harsh conditions the whole area was teeming with life; elk, mountain lions, and black bears were common in the vast expanse of the olympic mountain range.

What drew 35 year old Harry Potter to the area however, were the recent reports of extremely high levels of magical creature sightings. The past few years had seen a steady incline in their population, ever since a coven of 'vegetarian' vampires had moved there. The creatures had been described as everything from werewolves to animagi and Harry was determined to see what kind of magic the beasts possessed.

Harry Potter was officially unemployed. After the battle of Hogwarts he completed his seventh year of schooling attaining good NEWTS. He then signed up with the aurors hoping to be able to do the most good. He had 3 very satisfying years in the department, helping to collect evidence and bring in anyone who had ever willingly helped Voldemort's campaign.

At the end of those 3 years however the ruthless war veteran Kingsley stepped down and was replaced by Percy Weasley. The youngest ever minister for magic was a pompous, overly ambitious, moron. His campaign was helped by an understaffed ministry and his now highly respectable surname.

The pretentious git reversed a bunch of Kingsley's order's, which in turn made Harry's job both more difficult, and dull. Thus at the tender age of 21 Harry retired. In the following 15 years Harry spent a lot of time with Teddy, Andromeda, Hermione, and most of the Weasley's. He held the title of world duelling champion for 4 years in a row. Taught defence against the dark arts at Hogwarts as a favour to Minerva Mcgonogall for a term and travelled the world. He had enough power, magically, politically and economically to bring Britain to its knees but was much more interested in learning all about the wonders of magic.

Standing on top of mount Olympus in the middle of the night covered in warming charms his blazing emerald eyes surveyed the area. He was looking for places with a high magical concentration, the whole area he found out was teeming with magic, it almost felt like he was back at Hogwarts.

Harry summoned up his magic, and was instantly flying as a magical fog of grey towards the nearest town. The magic he was using was the one thing that he had admired Voldemort for. The monster had unlocked the secret to flying without any need for assistance. On his broom he was faster, without it he was freer, and free is all he had ever wanted to be.

The comet of magic descended into the forest outside of a small town called Forks, this was the place that his contacts had informed him of. He had the name and address of the coven of vampires, who were sure to know something so he cast a point me spell and decided to hike through the forest towards their lair. Casting noise, smell and impact suppression spells over his body he cautiously moved on. He told himself that he wasn't nervous about the interaction at all but Harry had always been good at figuring out when he was being lied to, unfortunately for him that also worked when he was lying to himself.

He could and had killed vampires previously, and he knew he could take a few on at a time relatively easily, entering a coven however was extremely dangerous, especially without knowing if any of them had some kind of power. A few miles out from the address he'd been given, according to some wand work, he found what looked like an animal trail. Scouting the area for a bit he found some of the biggest tracks he had ever seen. Wolf shape in feature the imprinted paws were a good metre and a half in diameter. The distance between each paw print told Harry that not only were these things larger than tigers but were also extremely quick.

He took a quick look on the animal trail and noticed that at least two other wolves had been using this path regularly. The lack of fresh prints told Harry that the path hadn't been travelled in weeks, so he decided to head towards the coven's house first. They'd probably have answers.

The couple of miles of dense forest took him only 12 minutes to hike through, and that was with frequent stops to ensure that he wasn't being hunted. When he reached the house however he paused. 'Now that cost a pretty penny.' Pushing his magic out he found the magical signatures of 6 vampires, scattered across the vampire's lair.

In absolute silence he crept up to the front door, smirking to himself he was thinking about how fun it was to trick the senses of vampires, they came to rely on them so much, that it tended to really shake their confidence when you got away with sneaking up on them. Reaching out for the front door he knocked.

Alice POV

Alice Cullen was not in a good mood, she was been forced to hang around with annoying, prediction preventing, werewolves. It's not that she didn't like them, the young boys were all amusing, Jacob was incredible with Nesie, and good for Bella, even Leah was becoming good company. However she hadn't seen a single prediction since she'd returned from the Amazon so she had sent Jacob and Nesie away for the weekend. Bella and Edward had predictably gone too and she had, so far, dedicated 33 hours to sitting cross legged in the middle of the stairs in an attempt at 'seeing'.

Alice let out a giant huff of annoyance. "Stupid werewolves." She muttered, meaning of course that the whole house could hear her. In a flash Jasper was at her side, calming waves coming from him battled away her frustration.

"Thanks Jaz." He simply smiled at her in reply to which she reached up for his face, gently caressing some of the scars that littered his cheeks, jaw and neck. She fell into a bout of melancholy thinking about the hard start to life her mate had suffered, but it was immediately replaced by happiness by Jasper.

"I am the luckiest girl in the world." She whispered to Jasper with a smile across her face. They simply smiled at each other for a while completely frozen until Alice's smile fell, her eyes turned white as she was taken to another place.

The Cullen's pristine house was changed into a dark, dank tunnel. She was taken up to the end of the passage at pace before crashing into the door at the end of it. Taking in the scene before her she saw a poorly lit atrium made entirely out of what appeared to be marble. The entire room was a mess. Crevasses climbed up the walls and along the floors, rubble, blood and scorch marks littered the areas surrounding them. Right in the centre of the room was a pile of bodies, she could clearly see the supernatural glow indicative of her race coming off several arms, torsos, and legs scattered among scores of carcasses heaped over each other in death.

Striding from the other end of room came a figure shrouded in darkness, the only features that Alice could see clearly were beacons of emerald, the shadow raised what should have been an arm, and a torrent of screaming flames engulfed the pyre of bodies reducing it to ash. As the flecks were slowly scattered by an occult wind, the raging blackness receded around the figure a man stood, bleeding heavily, and swaying drunkenly he dropped to his knees. His raven black hair tilted backwards and he laughed. Or at least tried to, the gruesome sound was hysterically, manically insane.

And then all of a sudden she was staring into Jasper's worried eyes. He could clearly sense the dread coming off of Alice in waves. Suddenly Alice started running, she was in her room, less than a second after her vision. Grabbing her sketchpad and colours she knelt down by her desk, Jasper not far behind, both as terrified for their mate as each other. She went through her shades of green and decided upon some point in between two using them to draw a pair of lights, screaming their way out a pitch black cloud.

Both her and Jasper stared at it for a few moments before two knocks sounded on the door. She looked at Jasper confused, she hadn't heard anyone come up the driveway. Jasper wasn't looking at her now, he was looking up and in the direction of the door, tension coming off him in waves.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her downstairs, settling her on the last step, him in front of her protectively. Carlisle and Esme were already there, and Emmet and Rosalie sprang from the garage.

"I can't smell him either." Emmet said, just loud enough for the six family members to hear.

Alice hadn't breathed since the knock and as she inhaled, she was shocked to find out that despite the knock that everyone knew that they had heard there was no signs of anything living on their doorstep. Which was extremely worrying, vampire's could arrive with no one being able to hear them but the lack of a smell was something she, nor any of her family by the looks on their faces had ever come across.

It had been 3 seconds since the knock had first taken place, when Carlisle opened the door.

"Hello my name is Harry Potter and I've got a few questions, do you mind if I come in?" Came a British accent from the doorway

"It's three thirty in the morning, what do you think you're doing?" Rosalie said in a scathing tone of voice.

"'coz you must be tired right?" Came a cheeky response. The implication wasn't subtle.

Carlisle took an eighth of a second before he took a step back introduced himself and invited the guy in. Harry silently followed the vampire, who was leading him to the living room. "Would you like a seat ?"

"Harry please." The man said before settling himself down in the middle of the leather sofa that Carlisle had pointed to. Carlisle sat down opposite Harry, an act that seemed to amuse the stranger. The rest of the family had decided to stay standing behind Carlisle's sofa, Jasper just over Carlisle's right shoulder Emmet over his left.

"So, what can I help you with Harry?" The ever present overall calm and polite tone always in affect.

"I was hoping that you or your coven could tell me what you know of wolves in the area." His tone was equally well mannered as Carlisle but the effect it had on the family was immediate, they all froze, the habits they had formed to blend in with the mundane world eradicated.

"Are you looking for trophies Harry?" Carlisle asked, the barest hint of steel audible in his voice.

"Trophies are dull," harry replied with a negligent wave of his hand. "I'm looking for knowledge."

"For knowledge's sake?"

"More for the chase, I'm a big fan of a good adventure." The stranger replied eagerly.

"Which is how you seem to know of us?" Carlisle seemed to be in his element, years of practice with cagey patients was coming to the fold.

"I've met vampire's before, but none like the six of you."

"The eyes?"

"I assume that comes with the diet?"

"You know of our diet?"

"I've heard rumours." The man said dismissively. "Are there any other side effects? Do you become weaker? Is that why you seem more civil?"

"Rumours from who?"

"Ah from the lack of answer I'd say that it does weaken you." He said with a smile. Jasper growled, so Alice ran up to him to hold him she turned to Harry "What do you want the wolves?" She bit out harshly.

It was the first time she'd had an unobstructed view of him. He looked human, in black boots, and a well made robe, Alice decided that it was a good new take on old fashion, and it looked expensive, especially if she were to go by the thread count, because she couldn't even see the individual strands!

His neck seemed to be pulsing but she couldn't hear his heart pounding or smell his blood. The words 'I will not tell lies' were scarred into the back of his right hand, scars climbed his neck, and crisscrossed his face. Incredibly she spied a vampire bite scar on the palm of his left hand. A lightning bolt was shaped into his forehead above his right eyes which were fixed on Jasper, and messy raven black hair topped his head.

"I told you, I want to learn about their magic." The man said turning to Alice.

As they locked eyes she couldn't prevent the angry hiss that came out of her mouth. The exact shade of emerald that she had seen from the murderer in her vision. At her hiss the family formed rank around her, all crouched and ready to pounce. "Witch!" She hissed.

The man in front of her had reacted quickly to the threat, he was standing opposite the family of vampires, a slither of wood in hand held out from his bottom right rib, eyes scanning the threat.

"Ah, so you do recognise us, I take it you've had bad interactions with us in the past."

"You're a witch?" Asked Esme from the back of the formation.

The man winced. "I prefer wizard, but essentially yes. How did you recognise me for what I am?" He asked Alice.

"I've seen you before." She placed the slightest inflection on the word seen possible, no one but her intimate family would have noticed it, never mind working out what she trying to say.

He looked contemplative as he asked "Were did you see me?"

"In an atrium." She said fishing for information.

"When?" He asked

"Time has little meaning for us mortals." She said suddenly on the defensive.

He smirked, his eyes twinkled in amusement, and Alice found herself somewhere between wrath at his mirth at her expense, and delight at watching currents of emerald dancing, happy and shinning. "I also know that you have photographic memory and perfect recall, so forgive me if I don't believe the act."

Alice found herself speechless, so it was with a silent 'halleluhia' on her part when Carlisle stepped back in.

"I think that my family and I need a quick discussion, so would it be possible for us to reconvene tomorrow at daybreak?"

"Of course." He said politely. "I'll let myself out then, shall I?"

He rose, and quickly strode out of the house, the house was still and silent as every member listened for his exit. Hearing nothing Emmett broke the stunned silence. "Well I like the guy."

Alice wouldn't take that lying down. "No you don't." She snapped.

"You don't do my thinking for me." There was a nano second of stillness, before both Alice and Emmett turned to Rosalie.

A small, satisfied, predatory grin turned to corners of Rosalie's mouth, as she nonchalantly examined her fingernails "Yes honey?" She asked him.

"Pretty please, can I like Harry?" He asked, turning on some sort of charm that inexplicably appealed to his mate.

"Well, since you asked nicely."

"He's dangerous." Whined Alice,, already knowing that she had lost. Her power it seemed was already returning nicely. She knew that despite having Jasper on her side that the rest of her family were far too curious for their own good. Thinking furiously she decided that she might be able to get Jacob on her side, he wouldn't like it that Harry was curious about his tribe, Edward was unlikely to want to risk his wife and child for curiosities sake, so she decided to wait for reinforcements.

"Call, Edward." She sang, "The 4 of them should be back for the discussion." Smiling, she took Jasper's hand and sprinted with him to their room. Leaving the rest of the family, slightly confused by the abrupt change in demeanour.

The second she entered their room she was hit with a brief flash of a vision. Understanding it immediately she turned to her mate betrayal in her eyes whispering "no."

"I'm sorry Alice."

"Why?"

Jasper paused for a moment. "Did you see his scars? I don't think a single one is way he held himself? Powerfully, alert, and assured. He's military, and he's a leader. I'm sorry Alice but I can't help but feel some kind of camaraderie with the wizard."

"He's killed and will kill."

"So have I, Alice, so have you." He said placatingly.

"So what? You want to give him all our secrets? Betray the wolves? All for a feeling, that for all we know could be engineered?"

"I don't want to betray the Quiletenes, Lord knows we owe them everything. I just want to talk to him, and you can bet Edward, Nessie and Bella will want to as well. Besides if it turns out that I'm wrong, it always pays to get to know your enemy."

As it turned out Jasper was right, and Alice was fuming, it was rare that her family ignored her warnings but as it stood they were more curious than smart. Stupid vampires. Even Jacob was fine with the meeting, due to the fact that Nessie was more enthusiastic about meeting a real wizard than anyone. Despite the obvious pain he felt at being away from Nessie he left for the reservation to avoid unwanted questions about his involvement with the Cullens.

The whole family bar Carlilse were seated around the 'dining' table. Both head's were left empty for their patriarch and guest. A gap left by the vampire's between the end closest to the door

As soon as the sun broke across the mountains they heard a knock at the door, once again the only thing that indicated anyone's opened the door and greeted their guest. Carlisle led him to the table, were the wizard's eyes scanned it's occupants, the whole family tensed as his eyes seemed to linger on Nessie for the briefest second longer than the rest of the table. After taking a seat, and allowing Carlisle to take his at the far end of the room, he addressed the table.

"Hello." He said quite cheerfully. "I'm Harry Potter, I'm afraid I didn't catch your names last time."

Carlisle looked shocked for a moment before replying, gesturing to his immediate left. "Yes, I'm sorry, this is My wife, Esme, Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper." He then indicated his immediate right. "Edward, Renesmee, Bella, and Emmett."

Harry's eyes twinkled as he was introduced to Renesmme. "And am I right in saying, that you Renesmee are a young Dhampire?"

Edward became immediately interested. "You know of her heritage?" He asked.

"One born of a human female and vampire male." He answered. "I've never even seen one of your kind before Renesmee, I'm honoured to meet you."

Renesmee blushed, despite being well used to being doted upon. It being something that had occurred pretty much constantly, day and night, for her entire existence up to date. "And I you, master wizard, sir." She answered in her beautifully innocent voice.

The wizard seemed to find her answer hilarious as his eyes became even merrier, his mouth stretched into a wide grin showing a row of offset white teeth. "Ahhh, you just reminded me of an old friend.." He replied to her curious look. "But us wizards we're common folk, not like you Renesmee, you're one of a kind." He said, his grin turning into a warm smile.

"You said that Esme was your wife." Harry said a little more seriously, suddenly addressing Carlisle, catching everyone off guard after his interaction with Nessie.

"I did."

"And what would you call Edward?"

Carlisle looked a little confused by the line of questioning but answered all the same. "Edward is my son."

"Hmm, and Nessie your granddaughter?"

Carlisle seemed to suddenly understand what the wizard was asking. "Yes Bella is Renesmee's mother and Edward, her father."

"So you're a family." The wizard stated, looking a little confused. "I've never met a family of vampire's before." He mused.

Carlisle smiled at Harry. "We have some questions of our own if we may?"

"Of course you may." Harry answered happily.

"How do you become a wizard?" Emmett asked eagerly, getting in before anyone else.

"I'm afraid we're born." Emmett's face dropped a little, and a small smirk crossed Harry's. "We can however turn girl's into witches." Everyone bar Bella and Emmett worked out that he was simply teasing them, but it was amusing to watch her eyes fill with excitement and his with jealousy before both turned to embarrassment when Harry let out a deep chuckle.

"That's not fair." Emmett whined.

"Well we can't gain a vampire's abilities either."

"How much do you know of Dhampire's?" Edward asked eagerly, trying out the knew word on his tongue perfectly.

Harry grimaced a little. "Not much unfortunately, like I mentioned they're extremely rare, all I know is that they reach maturity at about 6 years of age and are immortal. I can see that she's absolutely brimming with magic, and she's adorable."

Nessie beamed at him, and Edward got a really smug grin on his face, for some reason.

Carlisle then asked. "How does magic work?"

"That question is something that when you get down to it, no one really knows. Magic can do anything if properly applied, we know the rules of magic, and we can measure magic, but understanding the why and how of magic is something that the brightest minds of the last 6 centuries have been trying and failing to understand."

"Is that what you're attempting with your quest for knowledge."

Harry laughed again. "I am far off being counted as one of the brightest of my year group Dr. Cullen, never mind a generation."

"And yet you've obviously survived a lot." Jasper noted, nodding his head towards the scarred wizard.

There was a few moments pause before Harry replied. "Knowledge and power don't always walk hand in hand." He stated with a small frown on his face.

There was a brief pause before Bella asked what they were all thinking. "Can we see some magic Harry?"

Harry merely smiled before drawing his wand from somewhere at his chest, none of the vampire's could make out quite were it was hidden. He slowly swished his wand from left to right before flicking it. Suddenly everyone chair began to rise gently up into the sky. The childish giggles and applause from Nessie is what broke everyone from their shock. Just as gently as they were lifted up they were lowered back to the ground.

"I'm still curious about the wolves." Harry reminded them. The reaction was much less pronounced than in their last meeting, but there was still a sense of uneasiness that surrounded the Cullen family.

"We know of them." Their patriarch admitted.

"I assume, by the way you're being somewhat cagey that they're sentient?"

"They are."

"And are you on friendly terms with them?"

"As a whole?" Carlisle countered.

"So with some of them? And the others?"

"We're on good terms with them, and we owe them a lot."

Harry nodded. "In which case I won't ask you anymore, do you think I could talk to one of them?"

Carlisle grimaced. "If you give me your phone number I'll ask."

Harry smiled again before producing a well used notepad. He turned to the back page, and moved his hand over the paper, were a number was scrawled in messy writing. He smiled and looked up at the table.

"My friend crafted that spell, he was probably the laziest person in Gryffindor at the time, hadn't taken arithmancy, and didn't understand some basic theory of magic. He spent six months developing this spell in his seventh year and then completely shocked his girlfriend who couldn't decide whether she should be seriously impressed by his ingenuity or devestated that it gave him an excuse to be even lazier. In the end she was happy that she didn't have to start another fight with him over his notes come the exams." Harry then winced. "Didn't stop them entirely though."

He ripped the number off the page and brought it up to his face, blowing gently with wide cheeks. The page became a beautiful avian creature made of paper before it danced its way through the air to Carlisle, who held out a hand and allowed it to unfurl back into the page with Harry's number on it. "I'm afraid I've developed a little flair for the dramatic since a recent visit to Rome." He said with a grin.

"What do you know of the Volturi?" Edward asked after a small pause, hearing that Harry had been in Italy.

"The Vampire court." Harry said dramatically, his eyes widening comically, before laughing. "Aro, Caius and Marcus, and their guard. Three ancient vampires, charged with preventing the discovery of your kind, at the cost of their corruption and ambition, a necessary evil. You've had problems with them?"

"You could say that." Carlisle said hesitantly.

"And the wolves helped you fight them off?"

"I thought you had stopped asking questions about the wolves." Snarked Rosalie.

Harry smiled back at her. "You're right, forgive me."

Alice had seen Emmett subtly struggling to stop himself from doing something he knew wasn't smart, but she knew, that it would always be his silly side that won out. She was proven right when he blurted out. "Can we fight?"

The whole Cullen family looked like they desperately wanted to slap their heads on the table, but to the being they held there composure. Harry however beamed.

"You want to spar? I haven't had a sparring partner in ages." He seemed ecstatic.

Emmett was on his feet in a flash. "Now?" He asked eagerly.

Harry simply nodded and rose to his feet jittering excitedly. "Lead the way big man." He said with a grin on his face.

Emmett led him, and suddenly eight very curious immortal's, at a human pace outside. They went into the forest before entering a clearing about a hundred meters from the house. The clearing had a nice circular area, and was about thirty meters in diameter. The ground was covered in a fluffy, fresh layer of snow.

He turned to face Harry, concern suddenly on his face. "How hard can I hit you?"

Harry laughed at him. "Don't worry mate, I'm durable."

Emmett smiled before running off to the other end of the clearing. Harry shrugged off his robe, the garment seeming to disappear in a cloud of rapidly fading black smoke as it lost contact with his skin. It was immediately replaced by a very deep green snakeskin jerkin and trousers.

With his back to Emmett the wizard did a couple of stretches, before he sent out two quick spells into the trees. He then turned around, bounced on his toes a little, jumped his knees into his chest twice settled himself into his stance. His right arm was held out parallel to his ribs, his right palm splayed, his wand span happily over it.

"Whenever your ready Emmett." He said.

With a whoop Emmett started running, towards him. He wasn't the fastest Cullen, but he was by far the most powerful, the ground shook as he charged forward like a bull, straight at the matador.

Before he even made it a third of the way to Harry, the wizard flicked his wand up and across his body. Immediately there was thunder, as the spell impacted with Emmett, the vampire was flung back across the clearing, and clattered into a few trees before coming to a stop.

Emmett emerged from the trees with a contemplative look on his face, he set off running again,this time zig zagging randomly towards Harry. The wizard flicked his wand out in front of him. As Emmett turned to avoid the spell, Harry had already lined up another shot, the second spell clipped him in the shoulder and he was sent corkscrewing through the air. He landed with a crash. The second he landed he tried to spring back up but found himself bound by surprisingly strong rope.

Emmett spent a moment ripping out of his binds before he sprang up into the air and landed right in front of Harry. Emmett swiped down with his right hand attacking Harry's collar bone. The wizard ducked underneath his arm spinning himself behind the vampire and slapped his wand upwards sending Emmett high into the sky and back into the same trees he'd hit before.

Emmett emerged. "Jasper?" He asked asked hopefully.

"Use the trees." Jasper replied.

Emmett beamed. "Thanks." He said before dashing into the trees behind him.

The wizard turned on his heel, and appeared in the middle of the clearing, turning his body, trying to locate the vampire. All of a sudden Emmett burst from trees, charging towards Harry's back. The wizard turned but wasn't fast enough to avoid the vampire smashing through him. As Emmett's fist made contact with Harry, the wizard disappeared and a flash of red that came from the forest hit Emmett's back. The vampire crashed to the floor.

"It's alright he's just knocked out." Came Harry's voice from were the spell had originated. "I do love a good illusion."

"Seems very valuable at drawing someone out of cover, also if you sent a couple of them in front of you, you wouldn't need to worry about ambushes." Said Jasper calmly.

Harry smiled at him. "Military man?"

Jasper nodded.

"Me too. Yeah it's good for that, I mostly just use it for pranks though." He said with a smile.

Alice spoke for the first time that day. "You just knocked out a vampire." That was something that she'd never heard of. Which in itself was a list that just kept growing.

Not understanding the impossibility of the situation Harry said. "Oops sorry." He pointed his wand at Emmett and in a flash of green light Emmett seemed to be completely coherent again. He got up, and looked for Harry, seeing him talking to the vampire's family Emmett ran to a stop besides him.

"That was so cool!" Emmett said reverently.

"You almost got me at one point too." He winced.

"I thought you were durable?" Edward asked picking up on it.

"Durable, not indestructible If you hit me I wouldn't die, but it would have meant a day and a night on skelegrow which is something I'd rather avoid."

He turned to Carlisle. "I've been thinking about something, could I talk to you for a moment in private?"

Carlisle hesitated a fraction before nodding his head and gesturing forward.

Carlisle POV

Carlisle was intrigued, the man in front of him was clearly very dangerous. Why no one wanted to train with him was obvious. He'd watched the fight, as his youngest son was trounced, it just seemed that any advantage that Emmett had gained was given to him by Harry. He wasn't as fast as the slowest of his family, he was probably a little slower than most of the wolves, but his reaction speed was incredible. He seemed to know what Emmett was doing before his son did.

He led the man back into the house and up to his office. He gestured towards the leather chair across the desk from his. "Would you like a seat?"

"Thank you." The wizard replied, before sitting himself down. His robe, Carlisle noticed, had at some point been reformed, hanging tightly to him. The vampire couldn't make out any indication of armour underneath.

Harry raised his wand and danced it complicatedly through the air around his head, and with no more preamble he spoke in a deadly serious voice. "Aro has some ulterior motive for sending me here."

"You know Aro?" Carlisle asked, suddenly wary.

Harry grimaced. "Unfortunately Aro is a very handy guy to know, he has to have more contacts, sources and founts of knowledge than any other being our planet."

"And he willingly give those to you for nothing?" The vampire asked a hint of suspicion lacing his tone.

"Well," the young wizard started, contemplatively. "he wants me to think that. Fortunately, I've had plenty of experience with the powerful, enigmatic, old man sitting in his Ivory tower routine to know the warning signs. He's trying to move me into position."

"In which case I think it would be better if you left the area." Carlisle said, whilst being polite he seemed firm.

Harry nodded. "I can see why you may think that. However, until we can work out his play we don't know what actions would play directly into his hands."

Carlisle stared at the young, world weary man before nodding. "You'll help us with the Volturi?" He asked summarising.

Harry smiled. "I will, but don't be so sure that you're their target. Aro has wanted a few pet wizard's for a long long time."

"You think he's after you?"

"I don't think he's that stupid." Harry said with a cocky grin. "However, can you imagine how scary the Volturi would become if they had any kind of wards? Or had a good obliviator, someone who could take memory away from any muggle's who became suspicious of any over feeding?"

Carlisle was suddenly gripped with a lot of fear. With magic on their side, the Voltrui would be able to overcome the tenuous power advantage that the 'Rebel Alliance, (as Garrett, the newest member of the Denali clan, had affectionately come to name the Cullen's witnesses) had gained. They could pluck his family apart

"However." The wizard started. "We can't assume anything, until we understand a little more. What do the Volturi want from you?"

"Alice, Bella, Renesmee, maybe Edward and the wolves too." Carlisle answered without a hint of doubt in his mind.

"They have unique powers?"

Carlisle simply nodded.

"So we need to work out if Aro wants me here so that he can win the allegiance of you and yours or me and mine."

"Or both." Carlisle interjected.

Harry bit his lip and nodded. Brows furrowed in concentration. Carlisle had been struggling to come up with a strategic advantage, for Aro, in sending Harry to Forks, gifting them a potential ally in exchange for what exactly? He wasn't a sceptical man but the only thought that came into his mind was that Harry could be a spy.

"Have you done anything I wouldn't approve of?" Harry asked a hint of disbelief in his own voice. "I mean you're all, much more compassionate than any vampire I've ever met."

"There's nothing I can think of. How about you?" Carlisle asked, probing for answers. "Have you ever done anything I wouldn't approve of."

Harry looked somewhat forlornly at Carlisle. "I believe that is actually far more likely than the other way around."

Carlisle wasn't sure what to make of that answer. He knew he was dangerous, and dangerous people tended to have done unsavoury things in their life. He felt a little better with the honesty in Harry's remark, all but telling him he had secrets. It made him a little happier knowing that at least it was unlikely he was being lied to.

"Do you think he wants us fighting?" Carlisle asked sceptically, after all he'd managed to put up with the attitude of the Romanian ancients, less than six weeks ago.

"I can't see how he'd expect that, him knowing both of us, I would have guessed that he would rather have kept us apart." Harry replied apparently on the same page as the vampire. "What happened when you met him last?"

"He brought the whole Volturi guard..." Carlisle started before being interrupted.

"He brought the whole guard? Wow, he must really want some of your family."

Carlisle grimaced in reply. "Yes, well, he's not going to get any of us."

"Sorry, please continue." Harry said raising an open palm towards Carlisle.

"Well, as I said he brought the whole guard, along with about forty witnesses. They came with a few plans for indicating us in any wrong-doing. When it was obvious that Renesmee wasn't an immortal child..."

"An immortal child?"

Carlisle was shocked for a moment, this stranger had appeared to be almost all knowing in Vampire lore, it was somewhat refreshing knowing that he could impart some knowledge that he had no guilt in sharing. "Yes, a rather unfortunate blight on our history. Vampire's began turning children."

Harry grimaced at that.

"Quite." Carlisle replied to his non-verbal communication, before continuing. "They were beautiful, angelic. Ten times more so than Renesmee, and I assume that you weren't immune to Nessie's charm?" Carlisle asked rhetorically, no matter how hard the man in front of him may be, Nessie's charisma was unescapable. Carlisle felt a spark of pride before it was extinguished by the distaste he felt with thinking about the immortal children.

"Of course they were devastating in every sense of the term. They were stuck, in the mental state of a todller." Carlisle noticed a flinch from Harry.

"I do have experience with the terrible twos."

"I've heard they can be horrendous." The vampire replied with a small smile and a brief attempt at levity before continuing. "However, when a tantrum had the potential to level a town, and drain its population, they became a very real threat to our secrecy. The Volturi stepped in and decimated hundreds of Covens."

Harry sneered before admitting. "Which brings me back to my point. Unfortunately the vampire, and by extension magical, world can't afford to loose them. The statute of secrecy wouldn't allow the risk of their removal."

"Wait, you're not just talking about neutralising them, you want us to fight back?" Carlilse asked incredulously.

"Power corrupts, and all of that. I'm not in the habit of letting corrupt officials becoming that absolute power. I can tell you from experience that simply reacting to an aggressor who wants something as desperately as Aro can do, is never going to get him off your back. For you guys never is a really long fucking time."

Carlisle thought about it for a second before he was convinced that they were going to have to take the fight to the Volturi. "I assume you have a compromise between destroying them leaving them be then?"

"Well I was thinking it's time to shorten their leash." Harry said with a grin.

"I have to talk this over with my family." Carlisle said

"Of course, I need to do the same with some people in England, call me when you're ready." Harry said before waving his wand again, putting it away somewhere, standing up and leaving the house.


	2. Chapter 2

Assets and Adverseries

Aro Pov

Aro hummed almost silently to himself as he glided down the tunnels of Volterra. It had been an interesting couple of decades he mused to himself. The wizarding civil war in the end had no real impact upon them, but they had been approached by both sides requesting aid in return for the promise of power. He and his brothers were not fools. They had power, they had strength, and the idea of risking it all for the measly leftovers of wizards was an idiotic one at best.

One thing had caught his attention however. Harry Potter. He reflected upon their first meeting.

Aro straightened himself up from his crouched position, letting the dried husk crumple to the floor underneath him. He licked his lips not willing to waste a single drop of his meal. This particular human had been a little too salty for his tastes, an all to common phenomenon in recent decades. Most human's were too fatty or salty. He reminisced about the days were humans ate directly from nature and tasted like the blood of Christ himself, days were they didn't have to fear discovery, and could gorge on prey to their hearts content. Those days were over.

He was interrupted from his reminiscing by a faux cough coming from the entry way to their chamber. In the archway stood a short and slightly scrawny looking human. All of Aro's physical senses pleaded with him to feast so he could easily guess at what his guard were feeling, but they wouldn't dare move without his say so, and somehow the boy oozed danger.

"Hello, I didn't mean to interrupt." The disgust in the human's eyes was well disguised underneath a mask of polite curiosity, but Aro, who had a lifetime of reading people and their secrets could easily see it. He revelled in the fear and adulation of human's and yet here stood one who showed him neither, nor did the man's eyes betray surprise, queasiness, or any other emotions expected of a human seeing its fellow brethren being drained by bloodthirsty monsters in front of him.

Aro's mind supplied the answer to the question, 'what is it?' before the question itself could properly formulate. "Wizard." He quietly enunciated each syllable carefully and dangerously. The man in question seemed to note the implied threat, as his body tensed underneath his robe.

"Vampire." He mirrored. "I mean you no harm. Just wanted to introduce myself as I was passing through."

That was when the flashes of an image Aro had abandoned centuries ago ran through his mind for the first time in 600 years. His guard descending upon hordes of humans like in the days of old. A wizard by his side, destroying evidence and eradicating his enemies. That was when the hunter in him calmed down and the politician came to the surface. Confusingly a flash of greater disgust entered his eyes before it was beaten down.

He smiled and spoke charmingly. "Forgive me, my name is Aro and this is the Volturi." He gestured to his guard as he calmly walked towards his new guest.

"Hello Aro, I've heard of you." He said with the perfect imitation of a smile. "My name is Harry Potter."

"So Harry, how can we help you today." He said reaching out to shake Harry's hand.

Harry grasped the Vampire's hand, firmly for a human, but no thoughts transferred, inspecting the handshake Aro saw a slight film of air between them. Raising one eyebrow in inquiry the man in front of him gave a slightly sheepish smile.

"Forgive me Aro, I'm not one to divulge my secrets." There was a hiss of annoyance from behind him, his loyal guard understanding the situation perfectly. Aro however clapped his hands in apparent delight whilst inwardly seething. How dare he!?

"Oh you have done your homework." He laughed lightly. "How...intriguing."

A flash of dark humour crossed the wizards face. "I was simply wondering, whether you'd seen anything suspicious or interesting recently that I might take a look at for you."

"Are you looking for anything specific Harry?" Aro asked.

"Not really, just something to keep me entertained." Harry replied with a dazzling smile.

"Well, the last time I left my home it was to visit Mexico a couple of centuries ago. I'm afraid in terms of interesting occurrences in the modern world I'm woefully out of the picture."

Harry's face fell a little. "That's a shame, well it was at least a pleasure meeting you Aro, if you do hear of anything?"

"I'll be sure to let you know." Aro said quickly. Knowing it wouldn't work to try and keep the human here now he allowed the wizard to leave his domain with a small pop.

Since then he had read up on the boy. A child born of prophecy, his parents taken from him at a young age. Growing up dancing with the devil, he had blossomed into life when he killed a Dark Lord. Harry Potter was a living legend amongst the wizards who looked down upon Aro's kind. Oh, how he wanted the Man-Who-Won to add to his collection, how he needed him. Harry had visited twice more to learn about Aro's kind and in return Aro had learnt more about his.

This past year had been one of the most interesting of his life however. Meeting a human vampire hybrid, a vampire capable of blocking most of his guard's powers and Alice. He allowed himself to daydream about having Harry on his left hand side and Alice on his right laying waste to his enemies and feasting on human's. His loose plans went as far as destroying human and wizarding civilisation and ruling over his cattle as Emperor of the world.

In his musings he had wondered back to his office, a place of privacy, a sanctuary in his palace, he opened the door to find his brother Caius pacing, irritably in front of his desk.

"Why Aro?" He began "Why send Potter, probably the most dangerous man on the planet right into the palms of the Cullen's, probably the biggest threat to our throne?"

Aro smiled. Caius always made him laugh internally. The millenia they had lived and still he was as rash and impatient as ever. His brother believed himself Aro's equal, a ridiculous notion that Aro allowed simply to avoid the pain that would be brought if he were forced to destroy his family. Standing as motionless as a statue Aro spoke to his brother softly.

"Dear Caius, we need them to believe they can beat us."

"And what if they can?"

Aro laughed. "Do you have so little faith in our strength brother?"

"It's less to do with faith in our strengths and everything to do with theirs. It does not pay well to underestimate your enemy Aro." Caius sneered.

"You are correct of course." Aro paused for a moment before continuing. "We have long wanted a wizard to call our own brother. Tell me why have we failed to acquire one?"

"Their power is uncounterable." Caius relied placatingly.

Aro smiled maliciously. ""Until now." He spoke softly, but his voice carried a dark promise which had his sadistic brother alight with glee.

Harry POV

Harry appeared back in England, his intercontinental portkey sending him flying to the floor. He rolled over a few times before coming to a stop, he pulled his knees to his chest and pushed up on his arms before dry heaving heavily. He'd definitely ask Hermione to make him his next one, he'd never been very good at either delicate spell work or most travel magic.

Once his stomach had stopped trying to escape his body via his mouth he slowly got to his feet, and a massive head rush caused him to titter over gently. Managing to remain standing he set off towards his second favourite building in the world.

The Burrow hadn't changed all that much, despite the large sums of money that pretty much all of the Weasley's were earning these days no one wanted to mess with the homely feel that their house offered. It was a decision that Harry completely with.

It had been a couple of months since he'd seen any of his family and despite the odd letter he hadn't really talked with anyone in that time. Checking Gideon Prewett's old watch and seeing that he had a few hours before the Weasley's famous Sunday dinner he set off down the well worn path toward the Burrow.

He knocked on the wooden door firmly, and heard a mumble accompanied by footsteps heading in his direction. The door opened to reveal a plump Mrs. Weasley, her hair had permanently turned grey a few weeks after the battle of Hogwarts and Fred's death. Crow's feet attacked her eyes which after a few years and several grandchildren to dote upon had regained their warm, happy sheen. Despite the signs of ageing she looked as healthy as ever.

Upon seeing Harry she beamed and pulled him into a bone crushing hug, which he returned with enthusiasm. Pulling back he grazed his lips against her cheek before saying.

"You're looking great Mrs. Weasley."

She continued smiling at him. "Thank you dear." She replied "and how many times must I say it, call me Molly for crying out loud."

Harry smiled back. "Sorry Molly, it's a hard habit to break."

"Yes well...come in, come in." She said stepping back and waving him inside. "Are you staying for dinner?"

"I'd love to, if that's ok?" He asked, knowing that it was but unable to be anything more than completely polite to his pseudo mother.

Starting towards the kitchen with Harry following she said. "Of course it is dear, why you even ask is beyond me."

Entering the magically expanded kitchen Harry went over to Mr. Weasley, who, upon seeing him stood up and grasped his hand in a firm shake. There was still a slight shine of orange coming from the man's otherwise whitened and balding head. His gut pushed out a little more than it used to, but much like his wife he looked extremely healthy and very happy upon seeing his surrogate son.

"Harry, my boy!"

"Hello Mr...Arthur." Harry corrected himself. "How's the ministry?"

Mr. Weasley became head of the DMLE after the war. A job, which in these peaceful times allowed him a fair amount of delegation and time to himself. He still worked hard however, and, with an increase in his funding had managed to expand every department under him.

"It's fine, quiet." He said smiling. "Percy would disagree but he's never been one to take things easy."

Harry snorted to himself at the gross underestimation. He wasn't Percy's biggest fan but, he thought with glee about how no one chose their family.

There was a knock on the door and Mrs. Weasley hurried off to greet the new guest before Harry cast a weak wandless muffliato, noticed by Mr. Weasley who raised an eyebrow in question.

"Have you heard anything from Sanguini?"

Mr. Weasley shook his head. "No, I saw him a couple of weeks ago at a ministry function. He didn't say anything that caused me worry. Why?" He asked a serious expression on his face.

"I think the Volturi are making a play. I don't have any real evidence, it's just a feeling I have, you know?"

Mr. Weasley looked Harry intensely for a moment before letting out a sigh. "And unfortunately for us, you're instincts rarely seem to let you down." There was a small pause before they both noticed Mrs. Weasley entering the room again followed by Dominique Weasley who had just graduated Hogwarts, and Teddy Lupin, Harry's godson.

Dominique looked just like her mother did at her age, beautiful and alluring. Whilst Teddy looked like a mix between Harry, Tonks and Remus, it was his preferred form and usually he only changed his features whilst up to no good. His hair was however constantly changing, today it was lightning blue and curly.

Harry dropped his charm whilst getting up to his feet with Mr. Weasley who whispered to him. "Come by the Ministry tomorrow." Harry nodded his head minutely before hugging his godson.

"Teddy!" He exclaimed "Good to see you lad."

Teddy had smiled upon seeing Harry, and after withdrawing from the hug slapped him lightly on the arm. "You too Harry. Life treating you alright?"

"Can't complain," Harry replied, still smiling. "and how's training?"

Teddy grimaced. "I never thought I'd miss bootcamp, but at least there was some fun to be had. Right now all I seem to be doing is a fu...shed load of paperwork." He glanced at Mrs. Weasley's wand nervously. The last time he'd cursed in her presence she'd literally washed his mouth out.

Apparently the cover up was acceptable as Molly hadn't turned from the stove.

"Hey Dominique," Harry waved at her. "I hear congrats are in order. 10 NEWTs was it?"

She smiled a radiant smile at him. "Yeah, thanks again for the help with the defence stuff."

"It was no problem at all. I always loved teaching. How are your folks?"

"They're good, the goblins are over working them as per usual, but other than that they're great."

"That's good to hear." Harry replied.

The fireplace suddenly flared to life and outstepped Harry's two best friends. Almost simultaneously.

"...and I'm telling you Ronald, if you dare give any of your brothers merchandise to either of our children I swear to Merlin..." She stopped mid rant as she saw Harry before squealing his name and running over towards him engulfing him and knocking him back a few steps.

"Hello Mione." He said hugging her back before letting her go and hugging Ron. "Maybe you should remind her that she wasn't exactly the most law abiding Hogwarts student ever." He murmered to him. Ron's eyes went comically wide in horror as Harry was hit in the small of his back by a meaty stinging charm.

His back arched as he hissed and turning around to see Hermione looking smug, and a little angry. She then entered her lecture mode. "Harry Potter! Don't you dare help my husband in corrupting his children. Especially as every time I broke a rule it was to help you with whatever trouble attracting, crazy scheme you had in your head at the time."

Harry was feeling brave so decided to stand up to her. With a big grin on his face he said. "Yes Hermione, you were invaluable in helping me circumvent the rules, I'm sorry I forced you to do so." He winked. "Besides, a little rule breaking hasn't stopped you from becoming a completely rational" Ron snorted, before looking terrified at the glare his wife sent him. "member of society."

"Ron." She said dangerously. "Defend my honour."

There was a second whilst Ron decided whether trying to win the argument was worth the consequences. "She's right Harry." He murmured.

"Pfft. Gryffindor my arse." Harry said mirthfully, the only one of the trio looking relaxed. "Were are the kids anyways? I have a great story to tell them about the time this witch I know brewed a highly illegal potion in her second year."

Hermione shot another stinger at him, which he avoided. "If you mention that to either of them I swear to God..."

"Mention what to whom?" Came a small voice from behind Hermione.

Shooting a warning glare at Harry she turned with a smile on her face to her 15 year old daughter. "Never mind Rose, your uncle Harry is just being a prat, as per usual."

The bushy haired red head leaned her body to the side to look at Harry. "Hello Harry." She said her voice polite and friendly. "How was your trip to Rome?"

He beamed at her and replied. "It was awesome Rose! You'd have loved it, the Vatican's library is huge, at least twice the size of Hogwarts'. How have you been?"

"I'm good thank you, despite having to spend all of last year stopping Hugo from getting into trouble."

Harry chuckled. "Just like your mother."

The rest of the day flew by for Harry as he and the rest of his extended family enjoyed Molly's cooking. The talk around the table was small, and even Rose and Hugo managed to be civil with each other. Harry left for Grimauld place after a night cap and had a good night's sleep. So he found himself in good spirits as he apparated into the visitor's entrance of the ministry of magic.

Said good mood seemed to evaporate as an unnatural silence fell upon the ministry's lobby with his arrival. He'd forgotten how large his legend had swelled since he had left the ministry and thus the public's eye. As quickly as the silence had fallen the crowd in front of him seemed to burst into life.

Reporters were the first to flock around him, asking him everything from what his favourite colour was to whether there was any truth to rumours of his death and subsequent resurrection all those years ago.

Harry pushed his way past the mob, entered a lift before erecting a barrier stopping anyone from following him in. It was the same barrier that the Death Eaters had erected on the staircase up to the Astronomy Tower on the night of Dumbledore's assassination. Turning around he gave the temperamental public a cheeky grin before the lift shot him away into the relative safety of the bowels of the ministry.

"Floor one, Ministry of Magic, Head offices." A female witch announced through a speaker as he arrived.

Taking down his barrier he stepped through into the corridor and with confident strides made his way toward's Mr. Weasley's office. Stopping in front of his personal assistant, who hadn't yet looked up he said. "I'm here to see Mr. Weasley."

"Do you have an appointment?" The obviously busy wizard asked.

"I'm afraid not, but he is expecting me." The wizard finally looked up, and upon seeing Harry his eyes went wide in alarm.

"So sorry Mr. Potter, I'll just go and tell him that you're here." The young wizard stammered.

Harry smiled at him eyes twinkling all the whilst. "Of course." After getting over his frustrations about his fame some point in his early twenties he'd started finding it both a useful tool, and more importantly in his mind an amusing distraction, seeing people often much older than him tripping over themselves to help him.

He wished somewhat forlornly that Sirius was still around. The fun they would have had with it. His thoughts were derailed before he could enter real melancholy by the bustling assistant and the ever calm Mr. Weasley exiting his office. "Harry." The older wizard said happily. "Glad you could make it. Let's go see Percy shall we?"

Harry sighed internally whilst keeping a smile on his face. "Smashing."

Mr. Weasley smiled knowingly whilst turning to his P.A. "Thomas, why don't you take a long lunch? I have a feeling this meeting is going to take a whilst."

His assistant beamed. "Thank you Mr. Weasley." Before rushing off to the lifts, whilst Harry and Mr. Weasley set off in the opposite direction towards the large corner office at the end of corridor.

Mr. Weasley led him straight past Percy's assistant who didn't so much as blink in Harry's direction and into Percy's office. Percy was as thin and wiry as ever. There was however an air to him that had been absent before he was elected, a steel indicating that he was not a man to cross. Harry however wasn't one to be cowed by his own mental warnings and wasn't going to let his fears of the Volturi go the same way Fudge had let Voldemort's resurrection go.

Percy looked up through his spectacles at his new guests. "Father, Harry. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Hey Perce, you're the only man I know who looks better the more time you spend politicking." Harry said, simple flattery went a long way with most politicians. Percy inclined his head in acknowledgement.

"Perce." Mr. Weasley began. "We've been hearing some concerning things about the Volturi."

Harry internally smirked, Mr. Weasley would have made a great politician if it wasn't for his lack of ambition, a trait or lack thereof that Harry himself admired almost more than anything else about the man. They both had heard things, but Mr. Weasley had only heard it from Harry himself, half truths were one of Harry's favourite games so he decided to join in.

"I have friends in America who have been hassled quite severely by the guard." No need to mention that his new found friends were vampire's themselves. "and Aro himself recently contacted me, nothing suspicious in and of itself, but I think he's started keeping tabs on me." Yeah, like straight after they'd met.

Percy grimaced. "I've been hearing unsettling reports too, apparently his entire guard left Volterra about 6 months ago, and a couple of wizards recently disappeared, last seen near their Coven. I assume you want to do something about it? You were always a proponent for proactivity Harry."

Hmm.. So apparently Percy had been keeping tabs on him too. "I want to beat them into submission." Harry admitted.

"Unfortunately, we don't have enough trained professionals to take on the Volturi."

Mr. Weasley chimed in with a grimace. "That's true, I have maybe 8 aurors and half as many hit wizards I'd feel comfortable with sending into their nest."

Harry smiled. "Which is why an assault has never been considered before, however I have found a few allies, and believe that I could rustle up a few more given some time."

Percy nodded. "Good, find these allies, bring them here and we'll formulate a strategy based off their abilities." He said in dismissal.

Harry brightly skipped out of Percy's office before turning to Mr. Weasley. "Well that was easy."

"Hmm," the wizard replied genially. "Dumbledore often found people very receptive to his ideas too. Before Fudge's propaganda campaign of course."

Harry grimaced at that. "I don't want your blind faith, Arthur. I'm human just like you, just like Dumbledore. I need my closest friends and family to be capable of independent thought, especially if what I think is coming is on its way. I need to be told when I'm being paranoid, or when I'm acting rashly." He said with a little bit of heat. The last thing he wanted to become was the next Albus Dumbledore. He admired the man, but as his old Headmaster once said, he was just as capable of making mistakes as the rest of the human race, and when he made his, the consequences were vastly more disastrous.

"Harry stop." Mr. Weasley commanded, he placed his hand on Harry's soldiers and looked at him right in the eye. "Look. Whether you like it or not, you are a public figure, you hold the nation's hearts in your hands, we love you Harry. Your friends, your family, and every Tom, Dick and Harry from here to Timbuktu would lay down their lives for you because you have and would do the same for us over and over again.

Your reputation isn't a curse, it's a responsibility, and if you say that we're in danger then we're in danger. I know that Albus somehow wronged you, but use that to become an even better man than he was. You were great before you turned 18 and if I have anything to do with it you'll be great for another hundred and fifty years.

Don't worry too much about having people blindly following you. No one blindly followed Dumbledore, the number of times I heard that man getting shouted at for one reason or another beggars belief, but when the chips fell down we followed him without grumbling because he was our leader. Percy may be minister of magic, but even he will follow your lead, because we trust you Harry."

Harry gave himself a second to take that in. Half of him was glad and the other half terrified that Mr. Weasley was taking his hunch so seriously. "I'll do my best to make sure the Weasley's come out of this as strong as ever Arthur." He said.

Mr. Weasley smiled at him. "I know you will Harry," he said clenching his hand which was still on Harry's shoulder. "I know you will."

Edward POV

Edward was standing at the bay windows of the Cullen's living room staring out over the forest. As soon as Carlisle had called them here, Edward had known were he was going with the meeting. A matter of seconds later he knew his reasoning, and thus he was deep in thought over the potential consequences over his father's idea. Whilst the rest of his family listened in various stages of disbelief to their patriarch, having enough respect for Carlisle not to interrupt despite their desire to do so.

"... I understand that this seems crazy, but what Harry said is true. They will never stop coming after us. They want to rip our family apart. Their power will grow, and if we have any hope of stopping that from happening in the next century, I believe we need to take the fight back to them."

Edward knew that Carlisle was being honest with them, but his father obviously had some doubts. Edward had long ago stopped playing devil's advocate. He was too good at it. Being able to know someone's own apprehensions about something made it incredibly easy to play them. Despite this Edward couldn't help himself from listing all of the problems with Carlisle's idea.

"We can't ask our friends to fight for us, if we lost that would just speed up the process, playing right into Aro's hands. I refuse to risk the lives of any of you. If somehow we did succeed the vampire world will fall without the Volturi. Say what you want about them but Aro isn't someone who will loose track of the big picture. His loyalty to his self proclaimed duty outweighs his desire for our family. Most importantly however is the fact that we can't trust the wizard. I couldn't read his mind. It was almost as if he wasn't there, like our other senses he has a way of blocking mine."

"Alice could see him in the future. Killing vampire's might I add?" Rosalie said.

"Which makes sense if he's going after the Volturi." Placated Esme.

"And he wins." Added Emmett.

"We don't know that." Alice said. "All we know is that he doesn't die."

"Not to mention that the future can change." Carlise said.

"Also it wasn't in Volterra, my guess is that, the Atrium that Alice saw belongs to the wizards." Edward replied. Whilst thinking about what this implied about how the wizards fight against the Volturi would go.

"It was scary." Alice said. "He will be driven into hysterics by anger. The power coming off of him was terrifying. If things don't work out well for him then we could all be in danger anyway."

"Do you think he'll attack them without our aid?" Said Esme.

"He was going to talk to some other people, by what we saw today I'm not sure how much we could add to their strength." Said Carlisle.

"We'll be able to add a lot." Jasper added. "If what he says is true, and he actually came for the wolves. Then to leave straight after hearing about our struggles with the Volturi, in order to set up a team to go after them suggests that they wouldn't have the strength to pull it off without our help."

Edward heard a lot of thoughts about the subject in people's minds roaming for compassion to fear, anger to a desire to help. Him being the only one who knew everyone's opinions on the matter made it easy for him to speak his own.

"If it weren't the Volturi, I'd say how dare some wizard barge in and demand our help with their fight, but it's not their fight, it's ours and we cannot, in good conscience allow them to fight our battles."

Edward heard some thoughts about who's battle it was in people's minds before unanimously agreeing that they had no right to stay out of the fight.

Carlisle seeing this sighed. "We should talk to the wolves, and the others just to tell them what we're planning."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I would like to thank all of my reviewers. I had given up on this story but seeing the positive cooments ensured that I went back to finish this chapter. P.S. The next chapter is coming but sorry in advance if it takes me another 6 months.

Viktor

Viktor Krum had a sentimental smile on his face as he floated above the Stade de Normandy. At 39 years of age, he was in the twilight years of his quidditch career. Two decades of dominating his field in stadiums around the globe, smashing nine big records and helping various teams win 25 major trophies over that career, had taken its toll on his body. Everyday he woke up with bones and muscles screaming at him as he attempted to keep his body in peak condition. Last season was the hardest since his debut year at 16.

Gripping his broom between his legs he breathed in deeply, practise was over for today and he'd spent the session with his understudy. A young talented seeker from Hogwarts, he'd made the Hufflepuff team in his second year and had helped them to win five of the six seasons he played. He was a pureblood, and more than a little arrogant, but his ego seemed to fade to nothing around Viktor.

The boy was close to being ready for the big time, and Krum found himself wanting to end his career on a high as opposed to running out of the rest of his career, slowly degrading before spending his twilight days in The Northern American league. He loved the game and turning his back on it was a hard decision but he was getting closer to making his mind and handing in his resignation.

He was so deep in his musings that he almost didn't see the blur before it smashed into him. Instinctively he rolled out of the way, dropping under his broom, he pushed upwards on the handle to spin forward keeping his eyes on his assailant.

The blur slowed down to nothing about twenty meters from him and even in the faint moonlight Viktor recognised his friend by two dancing emeralds sparkling with joy. Harry help up a snitch between his finger and thumb, before letting go of it. It fell a couple of centimetres before zooming off away from the two natural fliers.

Viktor was away before his friend could blink, getting up to his broom's top speed in less than two seconds. The normally severe man couldn't help but let out a smirk as he heard Harry's whoop of joy as he joined in the chase.

The snitch was fast. Viktor was barely gaining on it as it began to rise. He could sense Harry at the tail of his broom, both of them flying as fast as humanly possible, rising up into the sky. The air was beginning to thin and breathing became difficult when the snitch darted to the left. Viktor immediately turned his firebolt, sharply, hardly losing any speed, he was smacked into by Harry, who hadn't slowed down at all, instead deciding to use Viktor as his break.

The collision had slowed Viktor down and his body's reactions had turned him into Harry. The push back had sent Harry slightly off course but he'd still managed to shoot off, and was now slightly ahead of Viktor. During the small scuffle neither had lost track of the snitch and were once again fast in pursuit.

The snitch then went into a dive and both flyers let gravity take hold for a moment before accelerating into a dive. Shoulder to shoulder for the first time. Gaining quickly on the snitch, but more quickly on the ground. They'd got to within a couple of broom lengths of the snitch when it darted to Harry's side, giving him the advantage.

Knowing that Harry wasn't going to give Viktor room to sweep underneath him he stopped suddenly and shot off above Harry. Harry had turned as soon as he felt Viktor leave his side and was trailing after the zigzagging snitch just above it ready to pounce the moment it shot upwards again.

Harry was ready for the snitch, but not for Viktor. When it shot up Harry pushed his centre of gravity forward looking for the catch, but Viktor shot down onto Harry's shoulder. Off balance Harry slammed into the ground, his broom went flying off into the other direction. He took a few rolls along the pitch before coming to a stop with a groan.

After grounding his opponent Viktor had pushed forward his hand closing comfortably around the snitch. He landed smoothly, and dismounted. He casually walked towards Harry who was now sitting upright rubbing his shoulder with a small grimace on his face.

"I do not know vhy you insist on flying against me Harry, you always end up in pain on the ground."

Harry looked up with a wide grin. "Well when you have a chance of flying against Viktor Krum you kind of have to take it you know."

Viktor reached out his hand, which Harry took, Viktor hauled him to his feet. "You look vell."

"Thanks. You too."

Viktor inclined his head. Harry sighed. "I was sure I had it then too."

Viktor let out a small chuckle before saying. "And that is vhy I von."

Harry shrugged. "I'll get it one of these days."

"And then it vill be forty to one instead of forty to nothing." Viktor replied with a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm Viktor Krum I'm the greatest flyer alive blah blah blah."

Viktor's smirk fell. "Not for much longer I do not think."

Harry nodded, and reached out placing a hand on Viktor's shoulder. "You still thinking of retiring?"

Viktor gave a small nod.

"Well that's kind of what I wanted to come to you about." Viktor simply raised an eyebrow.

"I have a job offer for you. It's dangerous, reckless, and maybe even a little stupid."

"Of course, it is you after all."

"Well yes, I'll just come out and say it. I'm assembling a team to go after the Volturi."

Viktor's eyebrows shot up. Showing surprise on the usually grim face of the quidditch star.

"I know, I know. Hear me out ok?" He waited for the slight nod that Viktor gave him before continuing. "Aro's coming after us, and I want to hit them before they can hit us."

"Vhy me?" Viktor asked after a few seconds silence.

"Oh come on Viktor, you're powerful, hard and thrive under pressure. You're a triwizard champion, and you know how to work as a part of team."

"I haven't duelled in months Harry, I'm rusty and I've never gone up against vampire's before."

"Good points, I'm not going to force you to do anything. Just know this, I can get you back up to scratch in a couple of weeks. I want you at my back and you're one of only a few that I'd have there. Also as a side note, any member of my team will be able to get any enforcement job anywhere in the world." Harry gave him a smile. "I'm not looking for an answer today, if you're in, be at the ministry this Sunday at midday." With that Harry disappeared.

Viktor's heart was beating hard, the adrenaline powering its way through his system made him feel like he was competing in his first final all over again. He looked up at the starry night sky and knew deep down that he wasn't going to refuse Harry. Despite countless reassurances over the years, he'd held onto his guilt for not being there for him at the battle of Hogwarts all of those years ago, and he couldn't live with himself if he let him do this alone.

Teddy

As far back as Teddy could remember he'd tried his best to do two things: make his parents proud, and emulate his godfather. Fortunately, the two kind of came hand in hand. When the world saw Harry Potter they saw a hero, a magical prodigy, and a revolutionary. Whilst he was obviously these things he was much much more. Harry was kind hearted man, who always did what he believed was the right thing to do no matter how difficult. He'd overheard several stories about how scary his godfather could be when angry but Teddy was fortunate in that he'd never seen his godfather lose his temper.

His grandmother had raised him, and he loved her with all of his heart, but to Teddy his one and only role model was Harry Potter. His earliest memories were of Harry, helping him come to terms with his orphaned title. He remembered Harry helping him deal with bullies in both primary school, and later Hogwarts. He grew up loved, safe, and cared for and every time he learnt more of Harry's early life it broke his heart bit by bit.

He was utterly loyal to Harry and knew the man better than anyone bar Ron and Hermione. Thus it was simple to deduce that there was something wrong and he was determined to help his Godfather. So when on a Sunday morning, a week after he'd seen Harry at the Weasley's, Harry's friend Kingsley Shacklebolt came into the Auror department, striding straight into Susan Bones' office, Teddy knew that it was time to take action.

He left his paperwork on his desk and walked towards the head Auror's door. He knocked and walked in. Both Kingsley and Bones looked up at him as he entered. Kingsley's face remained an unreadable mask, but Teddy noticed the surprise which quickly flashed across Bones' face before it was driven off by her lips tightening and eyebrows dipping in obvious irritation. Before she could say anything Teddy blurted out.

"I want to help Harry."

Bones narrowed her eyes at him piercingly making him feel uncomfortable.

"I will assume that you mean your godfather, Junior Auror Lupin." She enunciated his title carefully, reminding him of his place.

Teddy was sorely tempted to roll his eyes, but managed to control himself before performing a supreme act if insubordination in front of the Head Auror and ex Minister. He knew that wouldn't have gone down well. Despite the fact that he'd known both of them all of his life, and having been reasonably close, on a personal level with both of them, at least until the former became his boss.

"What does Harry require your assistance with?" Kingsley's calming voice washed over the two of them.

That brought Teddy up short. "Urm... I'm not actually sure... I just assumed that you'd tell me what to do to help."

"Why do you think we know what ails Harry?" Kingsley asked, an eyebrow raised inquisitively.

"Im not blind Kingsley...sir" Teddy said exasperatedly. "I know something important passed between Harry and Mr. Weasley last week at the Burrow. I know he came into the ministry last Monday, everyone was talking about it. And then you turn up in the ministry which I'm almost certain hasn't happened since you resigned. Something big is going down and I want in." Teddy finished passionately.

Kingsley turned to Bones. "Impressive logical deduction. How do the rest of his scores compare?"

Teddy silently watched in pain as he was ignored for the next couple of minutes as Bones ruthlessly listed his biggest weaknesses, which included; stealth, charms, potions, warding and breaking,and situation diffusion, before listing his strengths, grudgingly, in; concealment and disguise, tactical awareness and magical fighting.

Kingsley stared him up and down for a moment as Teddy stood trying not to fidget under his intense scrutiny.

"Do you swear to obey any order you are given by me, Harry, or Master Auror Bones?"

Teddy gulped as he prepared himself mentally for his field oaths. A golden field of magic washed over him as he said, "I do." The oath wasn't as binding as the unbreakable vow, but if he tried to fight it at any point, the vow would fight back.

"Even if said order places your life, or the life of ANYONE else on the line, including civilians, comrades, or superior officers."

"I swear it." The field of gold pulsed.

"Will you do your utmost best, and fight until your last breath to ensure that you make it back to your friends and family, in as many pieces as they need to stitch you back together?"

Teddy breathed heavily as he completed the vow with a, "I will." The field of gold burst into sparks as the oath was completed.

Kingsley smiled sadistically at him. A completely out of place expression on the usually calm man's face. "One more question Junior Auror Lupin. Are you ready to face the crucible?"

Bones, who had been watching incredulously, let out a dark chuckle at Teddy's gulp.

Teddy was nervous, he'd agreed without thought to Kingsley's proposal of running the crucible. He had then been fitted in battle armour, given an emergency portkey, and a knapsack of potions. He was also told to deck himself out in any weaponry that he felt comfortable using. He had his beloved 10 inch mahogany, and dragon heartstring wand in hand, a very well matched secondary wand on his hip, along with three goblin made knives, a muggle handgun, and a pair of magical knuckledusters scattered in various holsters and pockets on his person.

He stood in front of a massive steel door as he tried to calm his breathing. He hadn't heard any stories about what to expect from more senior Aurors, due to the fact that they were magically forbidden from talking about it. He had, however, seen the dark glint in all of the eyes of those whom had run it, whenever the crucible was mentioned. Some of those Aurors were the hardest bastards he'd ever met too, so it was no surprise that he was on edge.

He knew every single move of his was being watched by the majority of the DMLE, Kingsley, and quite possibly Harry too. It was with this in mind that he went through some rudimentary Occlumency exercises in the hopes of calming his body down.

Suddenly the steel door disappeared and his run at the crucible had begun. He paused for a moment before stepping through the doorway. Taking in the entire room in a glance. There was a millisecond of calm, before the storm came. A wall of fire shot towards him like the Hogwarts express. He flicked his wand left and then right causing the inferno to part before him. It crashed into the wards that he'd just stepped through. Like moses parting the red sea, Teddy joked to himself.

Unfortunately his little victory was short lived as two more walls of red hot death shot towards him from either side. Teddy pivoted to his left splitting the fire behind him with two quick swipes. He managed to get a high powered shield up in front of him just in time to stop the blazing wall of death. It smashed into his shield sapping up far more magic than he was expecting and his arm buckled under the pressure. Once the flames died down again he started moving forward. Dripping in sweat.

He only managed a step and a half before he was assaulted by more fire. His wand and magic furiously, and desperately worked around him as he tried to stop himself from having the flesh eaten from his bones by the magical flames, whilst maintaining a steady forward rhythm.

Eventually he reached the far side of the dark room and instead of crashing into the unseen wall he simply fell through it as if it weren't there.

He didn't give himself a moment to take a breath. His resilience had been beaten into him in boot camp where he learnt that the only time he should be lying down in a fight was if he had lost consciousness or worse.

Immediately after springing to his feet, he lost his footing again when he was smashed from the side. An impact which split his singed dragon hide armour, and broke a rib or two. He was sent rocketing into the far wall.

"Arresto Momentum." He wheezed before being splattered into it. His non-verbal shield was up before he landed catlike on the floor. Holding it like this was a real power drain especially as it was assaulted by powerful magic from a witch and wizard as soon as it was up, but it gave him the opportunity to draw his handgun. Holding his shield he drew his handgun and started firing rounds through his magical shield aiming for the trunk of first one, and then the other spell caster.

Seeing a couple of physically conjured slabs of marble block the bullets he decided to try getting one of his assailants caught between him and their partner.

He started sprinting in an arc to his left. However the witch and wizard were well drilled. Whilst one kept up a constant stream of spell fire directed towards Teddy who had to slow down a little so that he was able to dodge and shield from the countless spells effectively. The other had begun transfiguring the floor surrounding Teddy. A great wall shot out directly in front of him and he only just avoided the sharp spikes of rock that shot out of the wall when it was hit by yet another transfiguration.

Flanking hadn't worked so Teddy once again settled for blocking and dodging spells, whilst destroying the occasional conjured beast that would steam towards him. They were good whoever they were. They also seemed to work flawlessly as team. Teddy realised that unless he did something drastic he was well and truly fucked.

It was with that thought that he magically banished himself to the right, due to his clumsiness however he ended up stumbling, which was how he avoided a ridiculously well aimed bone breaker to the chest, instead it smashed into his right arm, causing him to drop his wand, and cry out in pain.

Teddy gave a grim smile and mentally thanked Harry for the gruelling summer that his godfather had spent before his initial auror acceptance test on drilling him on his weak hand casting. Whilst his brain was reminiscing, his body had acted on honed reactions. Drawing his secondary wand he shot out a flash bang charm, he closed his eyes tight but the light, despite being magically directional, still managed to burn his retinas through his closed lids.

The howl from the witch suggested that she hadn't been quick enough in closing her eyes when she recognised the build up of magic an instant before it had burst free of his wand.

Opening his eyes, his ears ringing, and vision coming to him slowly he simply couldn't react to the furious onslaught from his final opponent. He was caught by a nasty cutting curse to his abdomen, feeling white hot pain for a fraction of a second before a horrendously strong bludgeoner hit him smack bang in the face. He blacked out.

Jacob

Jacob sighed in annoyance at his pack, friends and acquaintances. Seriously, you'd have thought that beings, from the realms of fantasy would be a little less predictable. Even the smirk of agreement that Edward sent him was expected. Jacob had seen their reactions's coming the first time around, and had become especially bored hearing the same snide jokes, which admittedly, were initially, rather entertaining, being cracked over and over again.

After the wizard had left, the Cullen's had called the Quileutes and the other vegetarian vampires for a meeting. After having to fight through many cries of incredulousness, demandingly harsh questions about his sanity and dismissive scoffing, Carlisle had finally managed to finish his explanation for the meeting. Thus here they had stood for over an hour, blood boiling, tension thickened the atmosphere, as almost everyone tried to talk over each other.

Naturally,or perhaps supernaturally; everyone could hear and understand everything being said, but the immaturity of the arguing still riled Jacob up thoroughly.

"I will not risk my pack, or my tribe on a suicide mission concocted by some insane stranger, who came here with the intention of hunting us down." There goes Sam, Jacob thought. Always jumping to the worst conclusions, and his stubborn nature would mean that his pack would be staying put.

"Always knew you were a pussy Sam." Ah good old Leah, consistently ready with a bitchy put down when Jacob needed her to be there... and, unfortunately when he didn't. He could at least count on her to take his side over Sam's.

"At least he's not a fucking leech lover." Paul voice boomed out. Damn Leah's not going to take that comment lying down.

Leah's eyes narrowed and she shifted her centre of gravity forward a touch ready to pounce when Seth came in with a save. "My sister doesn't love leeches at all Paul, anyone with two brain cell's to rub together could see that."

Paul's answering growl was dangerous enough to give most human's a heart attack, as it was Embry and Leah growled back and Paul's body started vibrating.

"Paul." Sam's human voice cut through the danger, a command which Paul instantly listened to and backed off. Now that did surprise Jacob. Emmett's teasing "Good doggie." comment did not.

Everyone turned to glare at the big vampire save for his wife who simply smirked in a sadistic yet annoyingly attractive way. Sam growled and didn't stop Paul from advancing a couple of steps.

"Enough." Carlisle's usually calm voice came, hard and unrelentingly, as everyone's attention immediately snapped to him. "We all want the same thing here. To. Be. Left. Alone. How on Earth do you imagine our goal being reached when we can't stop sniping at each other, and start rationally discussing our options?"

"Well said Carlisle." Said Tanya. "I for one am curious about the identity of this wizard. What can you tell me of him?"

"Well, he said his name was Harry Potter..."

Whatever else Carlisle was about to say was cut off, as Kate, Tanya, Eleazar and Carmen burst into merry laughter. The sound dancing around the room in a beautiful melody, relaxing much of the tension that had built up in Jacob's body.

Garrett who had previously been an excited mess at the whole thing, somehow managing to keep his opinions relatively well withheld for the duration of the extended argument. Had turned stock still at the name

Carlisle smiled pleasantly at his extended family. It was clear to Jacob however that Garrett's reaction had not passed him by. He turned to Tanya, before asking. "I assume you have met Harry before?"

"Oh no, we haven't ever met the man. We have however heard the stories." She answered.

"The boy's famous. He became the first ever person to survive the 'killing curse' as a baby. Stopping a wizarding civil war, by destroying the Dark Lord Voldemort, a name by the way most of the wizarding world is still too afraid to utter. He was later present at the dark lord's rebirth, and was the wizard who ended him once and for all at the tender age of seventeen."

Jacob was a little gobsmacked, and he was sure he wasn't the only one, and then Garrett chimed in.

"Forgive me Tanya but the man is much more than that. Fifteen years before I met you," Garrett said whilst staring into Kate's eyes. "I had a little bit of a run in with Mr. Potter. I was hunting in Manchester, one night, and had succeeded into luring a man into a back alley with me, but before I could take that first succulent bite, the man in front of me disappeared."

The Wolves' expressions all displayed various degrees of disgust at the Vampire's previous eating habits.

Garrett began absentmindedly (and who'd ever heard of a vampire doing anything absentmindedly before?) rubbing his shoulder. "I moved reactively into a defensive stance but before I could so much as scratch my nose, I felt a white hot pain across my chest. My arm was detached from my body dragging itself along the ground. I looked up to see this pair of green flames staring, terrifyingly at me, and I knew in that second that I was dead.

Luckily before either of us could move a couple of humans walked into our alley. He propelled a couple of stones off the floor at them, before they noticed anything was wrong. As soon as they hit them they vanished just like my absent prey. I waisted no time at all in picking up my arm and...ah... Tactfully retreating whilst he was distracted.

I asked around a bit after reattaching my arm. Apparently to hunt in whichever city Harry Potter is currently occupying is akin to suicide for a vampire."

There was complete silence for a few moments before Kate burst into more of her lyrical laughter. "How haven't I heard any of this before? Oh gosh, and we simply have to meet him!"

Carlisle asked, a mix between hopefulness and caution in his voice. "So you're coming with us to England?"

Kate beamed at the expression of resignation on Garrett's part. "Of course we are."

Jacob spoke next. "I'm coming too and I'll take any wolf that wants to come with. I agree, that most of you should stay here and protect the tribe."

"So that you are free protect your masters?" Sam snidely asked.

Jacob closed his eyes, mentally calming himself, despite the closed eyes he could feel Edward's eye roll and Bella's glare. "I think she would prefer mistress, but I will do anything for Nessie."


	4. Chapter 4

Harry

He hated Voltura. The stench of blood. The distant, silent echoes of screaming men and women. The maze like tunnel systems seeped in the dark magic of bloodthirsty beasts intent upon the destruction of everything that he held dear.

He disliked vampire's in general. Having to feed off of the blood of innocents to maintain life was a repulsive act. He had killed many of their kind after catching them in said act. Few had escaped him.

Yet here he was. Striding deeper and deeper into his enemies territory. No victory would greet him here, in the den of his hated enemy. Here they held the power, here, alone, he was weak.

Hermione had told him his newest mission was folly. Ron had rolled his eyes and wished him luck. Molly watched him leave with fear in her eyes. They had trusted him however. Trusted him to emerge safe and whole.

As he closed the distance to his destination he hoped that their trust was placed well. That Aro would rather talk and posture, than command his hoard to descend upon him with no warning.

He wasn't sure what he was seeking with his forage into Voltura. Answers to questions he was yet to ask perhaps. A way of avoiding the upcoming conflict that he was at least partially to blame for?

For all of his bleatings about proactivity. About taking the fight to their enemy before they had a chance to hurt him and his. Harry had found himself more and more sickened by himself. It was dawning on him that he was asking his friends and family to lay their lives on the line for a fight that may be avoidable.

The cloying atmosphere around him was becoming more and more suffocating as he made his way deep into the vampire's lair. He felt a gentle stirring of fear. A prickle at the back of his neck that told him that his path contained only death and anguish, but he refused to break stride. Refused to falter under overwhelming opposition. Refused to bow to fear.

A small smirk crossed his face as he thought of his old house. It truly was a marvel; the very act of belonging to Gryffindor gifted a person a form of bravery.

A mantra of sorts, "I am Gryffindor." went through his head as he descended into hell. The knowledge that you are brave helped in gaining courage. His house were known for being reckless and prideful, glory hunters.

The worst values of his house however, could do nothing to take away from its best. Courage, to face your fears in the absence of hope. The ability to stand alone, or together in the eye of the storm, with head held high. Fighting to the bitter end. The sense of righteousness to stand by your convictions even against the overwhelming majority.

"I am Gryffindor. I will not bend to fear. I will not be a good man, who does nothing. I will choose what is right, and I will not be swayed by cowardice or pain. I am Brave. I am Righteous. I am Gryffindor."

He snorted to himself. The holier than though attitude of his house was another of its many flaws. However innovation and rebellion could not flourish without a certain level of pride and nobility.

He had reached the antechamber, and breezed past the receptionist. She protested this, but he quietened her with a glare. She disgusted him. To sit and watch as her fellows be lead to slaughter as she sat in hope that one day she would be among the number doing the reaping.

Her ambitions would all be for naught. If Aro wanted her in his coven then she would have been changed the moment they'd met. He wasn't one to let talent go to waste. Yet here she sat calmly waiting for her turn on the executioners block, falsely believing she was in line to ascend into legend.

Perhaps he was being to harsh. Perhaps if he lacked his magic he would have aspired to become something more too. Something great, something terrible. Perhaps if he was never rescued from the Dursleys, then they would have succeeded in turning him into something bitter and twisted.

It didn't matter. He shook his head and forged on. The tunnels remained dank and dark right up until the moment that they opened up. Deep underground, an unnatural light shone across thechamber that he found himself in. Aro's seat of power was grandly ostentatious.

The golden stone that it was built upon shone with unnatural light. The shadows had been pulled back, and only infected the tunnels and caverns leading to and from the chamber. Blood stained the walls and floor in a macabre display. And Harry fought the chill that started creeping up his spine.

Aro was with Renetta at his his shoulder, Caius, and Marcus to his left and right slightly behind him in the centre of the hall. One looking bored, one angry, whilst Aro stared at Harry, greed marring his face.

Lining the walls were 36 vampires, most of whom Harry recognised from previous reconnaissance. He saw Demitri, a vampire famed for his ability to find anyone anywhere. A corner of Harry's mind wondered how well his power would stack up to the fidelius.

He recognised the angelic face of the sadistic Jane and her calm, scarier twin Alec. The brute Felix, stood, looking ready to tear Harry limb from limb. Chelsea, whom their civility depended upon, and the most gorgeous thing he'd ever seen; Heidi, also lined the walls.

His eyes however were drawn to a vampire he didn't recognise floating on the fringes. The creature looked young, and of Egyptian descent. What caught Harry's interest was the absolute power swirling within him.

This wasn't good. The Volturi had found an extremely powerful ally. One Harry knew nothing about. He needed to fix that. He briefly considered asking, before discarding the thought. He had ally's now who would probably be able to help him on his quest for these answers.

Aro's voice caressed his ears. "Yes, our strength has grown since you were here last." He seemed smug.

Harry braced himself before allowing his bright green eyes to meet Aros milky red. He smiled, aiming for warmth but was pretty certain that he'd missed. "Aro, I hope that I find you well." Harry lied.

Musical laughter answered him. "You do?" Aro asked.

Harry shrugged. "We're not enemies yet."

"No we're not." Aro's smile grew. "And we don't have to be either."

"That's what I was hoping for." Harry replied. He was becoming nervous. "Tell me Aro, why did you send me to the Cullens?"

More musical laughter. "My dear boy," Harry ground his teeth but decided not to protest. "On your first visit here you asked me to inform you of new developments and curiosities. Did you not get your fill on your visit to America?"

Harry nodded his head. "I did, what I meant to ask was how do you benefit from our introduction?"

Aro's face morphed into one of mock hurt. He clutched his dead heart. "You wound me Harry. Can I not simply help out my friends when I have the opportunity?"

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Forgive me Aro, but I do not believe that you have an altruistic bone in your body."

Aro laughed again, throwing his head back to the ceiling. Instead of the musical notes that graced Harry's ears before, he was now accosted by a canon's booming that seemed to pull the shadows inwards with its echo. The force of it made him want to take a couple of steps back, but he would not show weakness, not here, not now. Aro took note of his tension however.

"Do I make you uncomfortable Harry?" He purred. Relishing in his power.

"More than most. Less than others." Harry replied with candour. It was another trait of Gryffindor. One that could be a disadvantage, but often had the affect of disarming an opponent.

Aro tilted his head. "Who are these others? I would very much like to meet them."

"You won't get to." Harry replied dismissively.

The guard weren't happy with the way he spoke to their master. Going by the hissing that quickly erupted at his reply.

"No one, bar my family, have spoken to me quite so directly in quite some time Harry." Aro said, conversationally.

Harry smirked, careful not to lower his guard he replied. "And no one, bar mine, has decided to play games with me since I put my last monster in the ground."

The guard's hissing became more pronounced and in some places changed into outright growling at his poorly disguised threat. Harry could feel the anger pushing into him and ensured to keep track of the magic in the room. Especially the magic surrounding Jane.

Aro's eyes for the first time that Harry had met him briefly flared with emotion. Marcus as always didn't react, but Caius stepped forwards in rage. "You dare threaten the Volturi?" He hissed.

"No threat Caius." Harry replied, arms raised, a dangerous smile on his face. "Merely a warning."

Caius growled, dangerously, but it barely registered to Harry, who kept his gaze firmly on Aro. He did notice the lack of denial when he mentioned being played with, he was content that, that was answer enough.

"Consider ourselves warned." Aro spoke quietly, dangerously, and in clear dismissal.

Harry stared at him for a moment. "Will you head it I wonder?"

He didn't receive a reply, not that he was expecting one. He stood for a moment allowing his eyes to once again take in the whole hall before he twisted on his heel and apparated with a small crack.

Teddy

Consciousness returned to him slowly. His head swimming and ears buzzing, he somehow managed to keep himself from revealing his newly acquired awareness to whomever may have been in the area.

Keeping his respiratory rate low and eyelids loose became more and more difficult as pain swept over his body. His muscles and magic seemed to be screaming whilst his ribs felt like they were stabbing him. His skin itched badly and underneath his eyelids his eyes burned.

By the smell of sterilizing magic, and sounds of health monitors beeping and humming around him, he suspected than he was in Saint Mungo's. Cautiously lifting his left eyelid he confirmed his suspicions but was immediately accosted by a mediwizard who noticed his barely perceptible movement.

"Good morning Mr. Lupin" he began in a gentle voice."How are you feeling?"

"Hurt." Teddy moaned sounding a lot more pathetic than he intended. To counter this he decided to shimy himself up the bed into a sitting position. The effort cost him, he couldn't hide the wince on his face, and he found himself quite out of breath after the experience.

The mediwizard who hadn't moved yet stood and watched him with assessing eyes. "Careful, you've been put through the wringer. Would you like some pain medication?"

Teddy was about to refuse wanting to stay lucid whilst in his somewhat vulnerable position but a sharp stabbing to his side caused him to close his eyes and nod his head. When he opened them the mediwizard was already on his way back with two vials of potion.

He handed them to Teddy and said. "A painkiller and a magic stabilizer. Should numb you out a bit. I'll go fetch the Healer and we'll talk you through the damage."

Teddy threw back the foul tasting potions and watched the mediwizard retreat from the room. He surveyed the other occupants of the ward, trying to ascertain from observing them how bad his own injuries were.

The wizards in their beds seemed pretty healthy to Teddy. A large gash spread down the side of the face of the man opposite him, but his content expression asurred him that all was well. The other two occupants were sleeping but the gentle rhythm of the machines hovering at their bedsides, as well as the lack of writhing in their apparently peacful sleep helped to calm Teddy's worries.

Teddy scrunched his nose in frustration, despite the positive signs hinting towards early release he was already bored. He sluggishly made to move out of bed but was stopped by an authoritive voice. "Stop." Teddy obeyed, and then looked up at his Healer.

She looked stern, and powerful. Holding herself confidently, maybe even arrogantly. Her eyes moved over Teddy, analyzing him before she continued on towards his bedside.

Looking further Teddy noticed the tell take shimmer of a glamour under her eyes. That was pretty common among healers and other over worked witches and wizards. Her nails were uneven at their tips, she'd been chewing them. Another sign of stress.

Her confident aura however filled the room. It was obvious in the way that the patients, mediwizards, and porters hurried to move out of her way that here, she was Queen.

She made her way over to the foot of his bed picked up his chart. "Hello , I'm Healer Roberts. I'm told that you were in a fair bit of pain when you awoke?"

"I was." Teddy said with a smile. The potions by now we're in full effect. Not only could he feel no pain, he also felt slightly giddy. His sluggishness didn't bother him as he slurred. "You're a very pretty Healer."

Flipping to the second page on his chart the Healer said. "Thank you . Now can you tell me you're date of birth."

After a fair bit of thought the answer came to the forefront of Teddys mind. "20, 04, 98" he mumbled.

The healer nodded. "Good, and what do you remember of the incident?"

"I wouldn't answer that if I were you Teddy." His Godfathers voice came from the doorway.

His Healer spun around. She seemed taken aback to Teddy's lessened awareness. "Mr. Potter visiting times.."

"Are for people with less clout than me." Harry interrupted. It was out of character for him to be so brash with someone. Even when stressed Harry appeared a polite man who didn't like stepping on toes.

"For what its worth" he continued. "I am sorry for interupting you, but time is short and Teddy needs debriefing."

"He was seriously injured!" Roberts spoke indignantly. "He needs care, bed rest, and an absolute minimum amount of stress."

"He's an auror. He needs to understand, what he did wrong so that he can ensure that he doesn't end up in the same position again."

Healer Roberts drew back, apparently offended. "How dare you! Mr. Lupin is in my care. Which means that I get to decide what is best for him. In this instance that involves sending you away for the next three to five days untill I release him. Good day Mr. Potter." She turned her back on him and walked over to Teddy.

Over her shoulder Teddy could see a slightly bemused expression on Harry's face before it turned into a wide grin.

"So, what happened Mr. Lupin."

Still watching Harry who hadn't moved Teddy replied. "Got into a fight. I lost."

His Healer nodded and asked in a sweet voice. "What can you tell me about the fight?"

"I'm sorry, it's classified." Teddy mumbled, his eyes downcast. Glancing up he saw that her frustration was starting to swell.

She turned around quickly, noticing Harry she commanded. "Get out of my ward."

He held up his hands in apparent defeat. "Of course, see you soon Teddy." He said with a wink.

Healer Roberts harrumphed as Harry left. She took a deep breath before turning back to Teddy a smile on her face. "Now Mr. Lupin, is there anything you would like to tell me whilst we're alone?" Teddy shook his head.

She sighed, and muttered somethin to herself that Teddy couldn't quite hear. "Well it seems like despite your condition, when you were brought in, you should make a quick and full recovery. I'll be back to check up on you soon." With a forced, parting smile she left the ward.

As soon as she was gone Teddy was startled by a shimmer in the air, untill he recognised Harry standing before him, tucking his invisibility cloak into his side seamlessly. He transfigured the visitors chair into something a little more comfy before sitting in it and placing his foot on his knee.

"Hello Teddy." He said with a smile, which Teddy returned.

"Harry." He replied.

"How are you doing?"

Teddy was about to say fine, before realising that it wouldn't be an acceptable answer. "Physically I'm great, whoever brews potions for St. Mungos really knows their stuff." He gave Harry a little smirk. "I am a little disappointed though."

"I thought you might be. It might help you to know, that had you not failed, you would have been only the third person in the crucible's history to succeed on their first attempt."

Teddy turned to look at Harry. "I suppose you were one right?

Harry rolled his eyes. "It's not important who the others were, what's important is that you learn the lessons that the crucible taught you."

"I'm not really sure what those lessons may have been." Teddy said somewhat glumly.

Harry smiled. "Which is why I am here."

Teddy nodded. He'd never been professionally debriefed by his Godfather before and was a little nervous. Harry was a kind and considerate, but he was also honest, sometimes brutally so.

Harry simply sat there staring expectantly at Teddy, his eyes boring seriously into Teddy's. Despite the lack of pressure on his occulemency shields, Teddy was under the impression that Harry could sense everything going on in his head at that point in time. Probably a side effect of having been raised by him.

After a minute or so Teddy decided to break the silence which was becoming uncomfortable; for him at least, Harry seemed to be perfectly at ease.

"I stopped moving. Pinning all of my hopes on the curse working."

"You did." Harry agreed.

"I also exhausted myself too early." He added when it seemed like Harry wanted him to go on.

His Godfather took his foot off his knee and planted it on the floor. He leaned forward slightly. "How could you have avoided that?"

Teddy thought back to the first room, the fire coming at him quickly and ferociously. The sweat, the fear.

He'd acted quickly and instinctively and managed to survive the flames. He wasn't at all convinced that anyone else could have crossed the room using his method any easier than him. So there was something that he was missing. Going by the smirk that Harry was wearing it was something relatively simple too.

Teddy remained silent, furiously thinking whilst Harry gazed at him patiently.

"I don't know Harry."

Harry gave a quick nod before talking. "It's not a surprise really. You're just out of basic training, and whilst that does give you an immeasurable advantage over the average witch or wizard, Basic, is just that.

The crucible is designed to test the metal of experienced aurors who rely upon their own instincts. Rather than the lessons you were taught to keep you alive. Tell me about magical fire Teddy."

Teddy scrunched his head in confusion. "Magical fire comes in three classes: Benign, which shares all the properties of mundane flame, the only difference is the temperature which is dependant on the power pushed into it.

Dark, which by its very nature is destructive, angry and deadly. And finally sanctified which for most witches or wizards is protective and cleansing."

"Good. And in basic you're taught how to protect yourself against fire in a combat sense. Seeing that as an auror you're most likely to be up against dark fire, that's what you're taught to fight. However experienced aurors would have recognised the lack of dark magic in the fire instantly and simply..."

"Cast a flame freezing charm." Teddy groaned.

Harry smiled and nodded at him before the ward door burst open, and Healer Roberts strode in.

"Mr Potter I told you to leave! Or am I going to have to curse you?"

Her voice cracked ever so slightly at the end giving a hint at how terrified she was of the thought of fighting Harry. She didn't back down though. She stood firm, looking for all intents and purposes as if she were ready to pull her wand out and begin firing upon his Godfather.

Harry stood and spun. With a charming smile on his face Teddy was sure.

"Apologies Healer Roberts." He spoke happily. "I'm on my way. Teddy I'll see you when you're released." Turning back to look at him, Harry held Teddys eye for a moment.

'Well someone has a mission.' Teddy thought. Harry calmly walked out of his ward nodding at Healer Roberts, who huffed at him.

Once he'd left his healer calmly walked over to him. She handed him a potion and without a word Teddy drank it, blissfully falling into the unconsciousness that came with it.

Carlisle

In the end, all the vampires, minus his wife, Rose and grandchild, along with five of the wolves, including Jacob, Leah, Embry, Quil, and Seth had made the trip to England.

The late hour of their arrival allowed them to quickly move through border control. The wolves, dozily allowed themselves to be escorted through by the more alert vampires.

Their pre ordered, luxury, taxis were waiting for them. Carlisle, Edward, and Jasper got into the first allowing the others to divide themselves as they saw fit behind them.

Carlisle gave the driver the address that Harry had given him. In no time at all the cars had traversed London's empty early morning roads. They found themselves in an alleyway outside a phonebooth.

They decided to go down in three groups of five; he went with Jasper, Alice, Carmen and Elezear first. Following Harry's instructions, and feeling a little foolish with five vampires piled into the phonebooth he dialled 62442.

A cool female voice sounded inside the box. "Welcome to the ministry of magic. Please state your name and business."

After a second of thought Carlisle answered. "Carlisle Cullen, here to see Harry Potter."

"Thank you." The voice replied. "Visitor please take the badge and attach it to the front of your robes."

A badge slid out of the coin return. Edward picked it up, and read it, before snorting. "Better do as she says Carlsile." His son chuckled, handing it over to him.

The badge read 'Carlisle Cullen, rabid fan girl.'

Unsure of himself Carlisle placed the badge in his pocket. Even at more than 300 years of age he wasn't immune from embarassment.

The telephone booth descended into an empty atrium. Alice intake of breath was enough of an indication to say that she recognised it and Carlisle was sure he knew from were. He gave her a glance that screamed 'later'. He wasn't sure if they were being listened to, and didn't want Alice sharing too much information about herself.

They exited the lift, and simply stood watching the empty atrium carefully as the rest of their party joined them in two more journeys.

As the last of their group piled out they made their way cautiously across the atrium towards a pair of lifts. They were called back however by a voice that cracked gently.

"Mr. Cullen?" A male voice squeaked.

Carlisle smiled flashing his teeth. The man in front of him took a step back in fear. "That's me he said." Ignoring the way the human looked like he was about to wet himself.

"Mr. Potter asked me to bring you to their conference room."

"Lead the way then." Carlisle smiled making sure to keep his teeth hidden this time.

They followed the nervous man out of the atrium and down a dreary corridor. It seemed like it hadn't been used in years, there was dust and signs of disrepair every were he looked.

Just as Carlisle was beginning to think he was being led into a trap, the man opened a door that Carlisle hadn't noticed, before it was opened, and enterred.

Their party followed Carlisle lead, and stepped in after him. The room was a stark contrast to the hallway they'd just eneterred from. Clean and modern as opposed to dank and dreary.

They were met with a bustle of activity and little fanfair. A few people looked up at them but returned to their work quickly.

Seeming much more at ease now he was with his fellows the man told them to follow him and calmly walked through the throngs of workers to a door at the end of the large room.

He opened it for them, and gestured for them to enter.

They found themselves in a smaller room with one long conference table in the middle. Large bay Windows looked over the London skyline. Curious, Carlisle was positive that they were underground.

Around the table sat various people in discussion in twos and threes. At the head of the table were three people around Harry's age. A bushy haired woman, a man with garish orange hair, and a woman who was strawberry blond. They were leant over a large piece of parchment furiously but quietly debating as their fingers danced and slid across it.

Towards the head of the table a man, talking with a woman, who possessed the same shade of red hair as the man at its head, noticed them and rose. Carlisle could feel the power within him as he walked towards them. As he reached Carlisle he thrust his hand out.

"Neville Longbottom." He cheerfully introduced himself.

Carlisle gripped his hand gently. "Carlisle Cullen. A pleasure."

Neville nodded before looking over Carlisle's shoulder.

Taking the hint Carlisle introduced the rest of his friends and family to Neville, who nodded and shook the hand of everyone there.

Returning his attention to Carlisle he said. "We're just waiting for Harry, Arthur and Kingsley, so make yourself at home."

Seeing the vampires and wolves begin to settle themselves around the table Neville strode back to were he was previously sitting and engaged the woman in conversation again.

Carlisle sat down with Edward on one side and a gulf of two chairs between himself and the next man along.

"Big table." Edward spoke quietly to his left.

'A good sign.' Carlisle thought. Knowing Edward would pick up on it.

Their group sat mostly in silence bar a few jokes being passed back and forth between Emmett and Jacob untill the door opened again.

This time three men enterred. An intimidating black man followed by a balding ginger and finally Harry enterred the room. Carlisle couldn't read the face of the other two men, but Harry looked grim and determined.

They strode to the head of the table. Harry nodded a greeting to Carlisle which the vampire returned. And greeted several others similarly. He grasped Neville by the hand and whispered something in his ear that not even Carlisle could hear.

He then looked over the parchment that the three people at the head of the table were crowded around. Softly he said "A good start." Before reaching the head and allowing everyone to take their seats.

"Friends." he spoke. "We have much to discuss. But first introductions, I think."

He gestured for the bushy haired woman to start to his immediate right.

"Hermione Granger" she said. The red haired man was Ron Weasley, who had a few siblings around the room including Ginny, the woman by Neville. He assumed Arthur was Ron's father who sat behind Harry with Kingsley. Fleur Wesley sat with Bill who sat by George.

Susan Bones was the third member, previously at the head of the table and sat to Harry's left. Viktor Krum, Cho Chang, Seamus Finegan, Dean Thomas, and Luna Lovegood, made up the rest of the younger people present.

Three people around Kingsleys age sat together besides Ginny: Fredrick Mclaggen, Jonathen Greengrass and Sara Bell. They had the same aura of power that Harry possessed. They looked hard and dangerous.

Based off the way people had orientated themselves around his group and each other, Harry, Neville, Kingsley and those last three were the most dangerous people in the room.

Carlisle noticed that many were heavily scarred, most had steel their eyes, and all were looking at Harry almost reverently.

The vampires and wolves introduced themselves next. Some of the table watched them suspiciously and in the case of the wolves with confusion in their eyes. Apart from Harry who looked at Carlisle's friends with a sort of anticipation.

"So," Harry began. "You all know why we're here." He was answered with sharp nods, and attentive gases. "The Volturi are coming." A determined smile crossed his face. "We're going to stop them."


End file.
